242 
RAfSING TURKEYS. 
accustomed to their sight, she is allowed to run in j 
a small enclosure with them, until she becomes so 
perfectly familiar with their appearance as to take 
the entire charge of them. After this they are 
folded with the whole flock for a fortnight or so, 
they then run about during the day with the flock, ■ 
which after a while becomes so accustomed to 
them, as to be able to distinguish them from other 
dogs—even from those of the same litter which 
have not been nursed among them. The shep¬ 
herds usually allow the slut to keep one of a litter 
for her own particular benefit, the balance are 
generally destroyed. 
After the pups are weaned, they never leave the 
particular drove among which they have been 
reared. Not even the voice of their master can en¬ 
tice them beyond sight of the flock; neither hun¬ 
ger nor thirst can do it. I have been credibly in¬ 
formed of an instance where a single dog having 
charge of a small flock of sheep was allowed to 
wander with them about the mountains, while the 
shepherd returned to his village for a few days, 
having perfect confidence in the ability of his dog 
to look after the flock during his absence, but with 
a strange want of foresight as to the provision of 
the dog for his food. Upon his return to the flock, 
he found it several miles from where left, but on 
the road leading to the village, and the poor faith¬ 
ful animal in the agonies of death, dying of starva¬ 
tion, even in the midst of plenty: yet the flock 
had not been harmed by him. A reciprocal affec¬ 
tion exists between them which may put to blush 
many of the human family. The poor dog recog¬ 
nised them only as brothers and dearly-loved 
friends; he was ready at all times to lay down his 
life for them ; to attack not only wolves and moun¬ 
tain-cats, with the confidence of victory, but even the 
hear, when there could be no hope. Of late years, 
when the shepherds of New Mexico have suffered 
so much from Indian marauders, instances have 
frequently occurred where the dog has not hesita¬ 
ted to attack his human foes, and although trans¬ 
fixed with arrows, his indomitable courage and 
faithfulness have been such as to compel his as¬ 
sailants to pin him to the earth with spears, and 
hold him there until despatched with stones. 
In the above instance the starving dog could 
have helped himself to one of his little brother 
lambs, or could have deserted the sheep, and very 
soon have reached the settlements where there 
was food for him. But faithful even unto death, 
he would neither leave nor molest them, but fol¬ 
lowed the promptings of his instinct to lead into 
the settlement; their unconsciousness of his wants, 
and slow motions in travelling were too much for 
his exhausting strength. 
These shepherds are very nomadic in character. 
They are constantly moving about, their camp- 
equipage consisting merely of a kettle and bag of 
meal; their lodges are made in a few minutes, of 
branches, &c., thrown against cross-sticks. They 
very seldom go out in the day time with their flocks, 
intrusting entirely to their dogs, which faithfully 
return them at night, never permitting any strag¬ 
gling behind or lost. Sometimes different flocks 
are brought into the same neighborhood owing to 
scarcity of grass, when the wonderful instincts of 
the shepherd’s dogs are most beautifully displayed ; 
and to my astonishment, who have been an eye¬ 
witness of such scenes, if two flocks approach 
within a few yards of each other, their respective 
protectors will place themselves in the space be¬ 
tween them, and as is very naturally the case, if 
any adventurous sheep should endeavor to cross 
over to visit her neighbors, her dog protector kind¬ 
ly but firmly leads her back, and as it sometimes 
happens, if many make a rush and succeed in join¬ 
ing the other flock, the dogs under whose charge 
they are, go over and bring them all out, but 
strange to say, under such circumstances they are 
never opposed, by the other dogs. They approach 
the strange sheep only to prevent their own from 
leaving the flock, though they offer no assistance 
in expelling the other sheep. But they never per¬ 
mit sheep not under canine protection, nor dogs 
not in charge of sheep, to approach them. Even 
the same dogs which are so freely permitted to 
enter their flocks in search of their own are driven 
away with ignominy if they presume to approach 
them without that laudable object in view. 
Many aneedotes could be related of the wonder¬ 
ful instinct of these dogs. I very much doubt if 
there are shepherd-dogs in any other part of the 
world except Spain, equal to those of New Mexico 
in value. The famed Scotch and English dogs 
sink into insignificance by the side of them. Their 
superiority may be owing to the peculiar mode of 
rearing them, but they are certainly very noble 
animals, naturally of large size, and highly deserv¬ 
ing to be introduced into the United States. A 
pair of them will easily kill a wolf, and flocks under 
their care need not fear any common enemy to be 
found in our country. 
J. H. Lyman. 
RAISING TURKEYS. 
Heretofore I have had so much difficulty in 
raising turkeys as to be almost discouraged, but of 
late have been very successful, in consequence of 
pursuing the following mode recommended to me 
by a lady, who said that she had no trouble with 
them. 
When first hatched give no feed for 24 hours, 
then give a little curd made from buttermilk, in¬ 
creasing the quantity as they grow older, at the 
some time feeding the hen with whole corn. 
They should be secured from the wet, and by no 
means have Indian meal; but with the curd they 
may have in moderate quantities, wheat-bread 
soaked in buttermilk or crumbs of the same. I 
believe Indian-meal is fatal to the greater part of 
the young turkeys which die in the attempt to 
raise them. To allow them to wander too much 
is attended usually with considerable loss. I have 
found it a very good plan to make an enclosure of 
boards 6 feet square or so, and 12 to 18 inches 
high, and set this in a grass field during fine 
weather, in which to confine the young turkeys. 
This is removed occasionally from place to place, 
the chickens thus get all the fresh green food they 
may need, besides an abundance of insects. 
Charles Starr, Jr. 
Mendham , N. July, 1844. 
